Inmate sparks fire in cellblock

3 hospitalized for smoke inhalation in LaPorte.

LAPORTE -- Three LaPorte County Jail inmates were hospitalized after another inmate started a fire in the jail Wednesday night.

Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer said the inmates suffered from smoke inhalation and one remained in the hospital Thursday.

With help from a video recording system, police said they determined the offender who started the fire accessed the wires on a light fixture in the ceiling of his cellblock to create a spark and set toilet paper on fire.

He then used the burning paper to start a fire in the mattress and blankets.

Mollenhauer said flames from the mattress rose 4 to 5 feet high, creating enough dense smoke to force the evacuation of 13 offenders from the concrete and steel cellblock on the main floor.

The fire would not have been as serious had the automatic sprinkler system been working. Jail commander Scott Bell said water to the system had been shut off several weeks ago because of inmates breaking sprinkler heads, and that the sprinklers should have been fixed.

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Bell said only the maintenance staff was aware the sprinklers were still disabled.

Disciplinary action could be taken against a maintenance supervisor for not informing his superiors about the current status of the sprinkler system and not getting it fixed in a timely manner, officials said.

"It's important to getting around and fixing it, I would say," Mollenhauer said.

Mollenhauer said it was fortunate that jailers were able to evacuate all of the offenders from the cellblock.

"It could have very easily caused a more serious injury or death even," Mollenhauer said.

LaPorte County Police Detective Andy Hynek said more than one inmate is suspected to be involved in the fire. Names of the suspects were not released because charges are still pending.